Apologies to my grandmother for the profanity, but that’s what ran through my head as I stood on the shores of Gili Trawangan and watched the sun rising over Lombok, revealing the volcano we were about spent three days scaling. Gunung Rinjani is not only the second highest peak in Indonesia, but a deeply sacred volcano to the Hindus and the Sasaks who often make pilgrimages there.

I had looked out towards Gunung Rinjani almost daily for two months — missing it only when the sky was too hazy to reveal its jagged peaks. I also heard passing tales from those who had returned from the climb about the brutality of the ascent and the shock of the altitude. I had been interested in hiking it as well, from a detached and “someday” kind of standpoint. So when Anders called me and said he had a three-day window off from work, and would I be ready to depart in thirty-six hours, “someday” came on a little suddenly.

Rinjani from Gili Trawangan

the boat to Lombok

local Lombok transport

I had two concerns about the three-day package sold all over Gili Trawangan. The first was the time frame. The almighty Lonely Planet Bali & Lombok informed me that the “most popular” route covered the exact same ground that we hypothetically would, but in five days instead of three. Our plan had us racking up one seven hour days and more than eleven on another. My next concern was price. We had payed one million rupiah each, or about $100, for everything — guide and porters, transport to and from Gili Trawangan, meals, tents and sleeping bags, etc. What kind of food and amenities could we really expect for just over thirty dollars a day?

In preparation for the cold nights we had packed as much warm clothing as we had (not much considering we were on a tropical island), and in anticipation of nine straight servings of plain white rice we brought as many treats as we could afford, like high-protein honey roasted cashew nuts and freshly baked banana bread as self-motivator. Other than that, our comfort and fueling was in the hands of our guide and porters.

We were trekking with two of our friends from Big Bubble, Kelly and Adam. I find that as a writer I struggle enormously to describe other people, and so I am sad that I can’t find a better way to convey their personalities to you beyond “immensely intelligent” and “dryly hysterical.” Suffice it to say I was so glad that they were coming along, as watching Anders try to hug human-affection phobic Kelly had provided me with a lot of comic relief around the dive shop.

Despite leaving Gili Trawangan at 7am on our first day, we didn’t start hiking until 11am due to an inexplicable number of transfers and a lot of sitting around and having no idea what was going on (luckily we’ve all been in Indonesia long enough that we didn’t even question this.) We joined a group with a couple from Italy and a couple from Spain, making us eight altogether.

The initial ascent was challenging but not torturous, as we moved into denser and denser rainforest jungle. Eventually, we were walking through the clouds and I would often watch Anders disappear entirely before my eyes, despite there being only a small distance between us.

We stopped for lunch and I marveled for the first of what would be many, many times, at how fast the porters managed to move — and in flip-flops, no less! By the time I reached the clearing where we stopped for lunch, they were already halfway done cooking.

I was also shocked by how crowded the trail was. August is peak tourism season, and yet I was still surprised by how many people made time for three days of torture — excuse me, nature, on their holidays. And for one final round of “I did not expect that,” I found myself shivering as soon as we stopped moving — we could feel the affects of altitude already.

What is that you say, readers? You come here for travel advice and not for unflattering mushy couple photos? Well too bad, that’s what you get for reading the blog of a chronic oversharer. Why don’t you just get over it already and accept that you and I are basically best friends.

After our late lunch, we made a major push to get to the camp site before sunset. It was kind of hard to stay focused though when there were adorable monkeys hanging out and demanding our attention. But eventually, we made it above the clouds.

After hours of vertical ascent, looking out at the ocean from over the top of the clouds was the exact motivational push I needed to get through the last hour. The entire day I had been lagging behind as I snapped photos frantically and then ran to catch up with the group, but with the end in sight I took my time — and also created some of my favorite images from the trip.

We reached the crater rim just in time to catch the final dip of the sun below the horizon. In just one day, we had ascended to 8,665 feet above sea level over 6.2 miles of uphill trekking. I was exhausted but exhilarated as we gazed down beyond the far edge of Lombok, onto the three Gili islands, and all the way to Gunung Agung on neighboring Bali. I couldn’t believe we had started the morning on that little speck in the distance.

We were pleasantly surprised by our camping setup, where we had not just sleeping bags and decent tents but also sleeping mats to make our beds a bit softer. Still, as soon as the sun set we were freezing, and layered on everything we had brought plus the rental jackets we had talked our tour-package-seller into including. We had hesitated over packing so much clothing but were grateful for every stitch of it. I had had lovely mental images of all of us bonding over a campfire at night, but in reality we were so frozen we could manage little more than huddling in our tents in the fetal position and wishing for sleep.

We emerged groggily from our tents at sunrise, waiting for the sun to come and heat us back to life. We had camped quite literally at the edge of the crater, and I had not a few nightmares throughout the night of crawling out to go to the bathroom tent, and stumbling to my death in the dark.

I was so shocked when this dog trotted over to us. “How did you get up here!” I asked the pup as I gave him a cuddle. “That dog has four legs,” Kelly quipped as she packed up for the day ahead. Fair point. But I was still impressed.

As we packed up camp and waited for breakfast, the sun rose higher in the sky and light drew slowly across the crater bowl — giving us our first glimpse of the postcard views advertised at travel agencies all over Bali and Lombok.

It really was stunning.

We were the last group to set off at around 9am. Based on that and our very late dinner the night before, we ascertained that we had some new porters in the group. They were sweet and friendly and I can’t even begin to imagine doing what they do, so we were all understanding. Breakfast brought about my first minor internal complaint, when we were served toast and a pancake each. We had had rice and noodles for lunch and dinner the day before, so I shouldn’t have been too shocked by the double carbs — but still, those meals also included fruit and some vegetables and egg. It’s hard to get the energy you need for days of trekking from two slabs of processed white bread. The pancakes were the only thing I refused to eat throughout the trip; they were just inedible.

Luckily I had peanuts and cashew nuts to snack on throughout our knee-pounding descent into the crater. I don’t mind downhill trekking so much, though the amount of technical precision it takes can be exhausting — you can’t really tune out, or you’ll end up with a twisted ankle. But Anders dreads it and so we were both happy when we reached the lake in just two hours.

We all relaxed and soaked our tired feet in the cool water until the fog rolled in. It was really unbelievable to watch — one minute, the sky was blue and clear and the next I felt like I was in the middle of a time lapse movie as a white cloud enveloped the lake.

So off to the hot springs we went.

After a day and a half of sweaty hiking and no showers, we were all pretty psyched to get into those hot springs and soak off some of the built up grime. The fog had also brought in a cold front, so we all changed into our bathing suits and hopped into the water in record time. I couldn’t help but think over and over again how similar the landscape was to another place I’ve been. Indonesia and Iceland — who would have thought there would be a connection?

The monkeys started circling thanks to the groups preparing lunch in the area, and I hopped out to make sure they didn’t make off with my camera. At this point our group realized that we had no idea where our guide was, and he hadn’t told us when he would be back. We all sat around confused and somewhat irritated for quite some time — if we had known what was going on, it would have been great to use that time to relax, but instead we were pretty on edge. While my time in Southeast Asia has taught me in many ways to function without the information that I usually want and think I need, it can still be a little unnerving sometimes (for example, when you are alone in the middle of a deep volcano crater jungle with no idea where your guide went or when to expect him or how to get out if he doesn’t reappear.)

Eventually of course, he did, and after lunch by the lake we started the trek back up to the opposite side of the crater rim. This is when things really started to get ugly. The first hour was okay, though I felt a knot forming in my stomach just looking up at the vertical distance we had to cover. Eventually a series of steep switchbacks began and for the next hour and a half I had to finally turn on my iPhone and use those battery reserves I had been saving up. With my music on, I tuned out and just focused step by step on blasting through the final ascent. Though this was our shortest day of actual hours spent on the trail, this portion really challenged me to my physical limits.

I pretty much collapsed when we made it onto the rim and over to our camp at the base of the summit. There was a celebratory nature in the air among the dense crowd of camps, all mentally preparing for the impending 3am wake-up call. This was the moment I had been dreading — the fabled, brutal midnight slog to the summit. My mind was racing with dramatic scenarios and self-doubt, and as I finally lulled myself into a restless sleep, that same thought from two days before echoed through my head — What have I gotten myself into?

Stunning photos!! I can remember how intimidated I was looking out to Rinjani from Gili too… And I was right to be!! I’m worried about your stomach upset, look forward to the next installment (kinda…) 🙂Sarah Somewhere recently posted..Meeting Jorge

Amazing travel story again, what I love about your blog is that you do things that go against the norm and things I’ve not heard anyone doing before. This is the only blog that I read where I like to live vicariously through your adventures 🙂Sally recently posted..Photos: Paihia, Bay of Islands, Part Two

I’m am half jealous and half relieved that we ran out of time to hike Rinjani ourselves. Your photos are stunning – and I especially love the mushy ones 😉 You guys are just so adorable! Can’t wait to read part two.

These are by far the most beautiful pics you’ve ever posted! What an incredibly journey, one I know you’ll never, ever forget. I’m so proud of you!!!Andi of My Beautiful Adventures recently posted..Capture The Colour Photo Contest (My Version)

Alex, Exciting journey, unbelievable pictures .I really enjoyed this wanderland adventure …. Ever think of saving “the trek” and sky diving in, no doubt, skydiving has to be on agenda ? Be careful, the natives are NOT always friendly….I am a fan, but I often worry about you…VERY GRAND BLOG !!! OH, Beverly Products makes the best protein supplement in the world …light weight too. Ever consider MILITARY ” MRE’S” some are great, and all light weight. Dependable nourishing food is important. GREAT JOB ALEX, JB

First off, please keep posting the mushy photos! You two are adorable and they always make me smile!

Anyway, this seems like an incredible trek! I have issues with my knees so I’m not really able to do anything like this when I travel so I love living vicariously through you and other bloggers. Your photos are spectacular!

This looks like such an awesome hike. So pretty. I have just about recovered from my trek to Everest Base Camp and although it was a bit of a disaster with me getting AMS and light hypothermia, I am dying to go on my next trek. I think that’s what you call summit fever. Once you have hiked once, you can’t stop.TammyOnTheMove recently posted..Flashback Friday: The day we found a mule at Quilotoa

Incredible photos, as always! Thanks for the honest review about the start of your hike – I’m looking forward to the next post. Will you also be including a list of gear you took with you? Interested as I’m heading to Indonesia next week and am considering the trek myself.

Rinjani looks so incredibly beautiful and it was a trek we considered doing. And then we realized that there was no way we were fit enough to accomplish such a thing and gave up that idea and decided to go diving in Komodo instead (which was not really a mistake given how amazing the diving is there). You are a warrior woman, Alex! 😀Steph (@ 20 Years Hence) recently posted..What We Ate: Hualien

Was wondering how did you get the trek package of $100? is it USD or?
And how did you get to Lombok? Am interested to know as i will be planning a trip there. Is mountain climbing/ trekking shoes really necessary or running shoes would be adequate?

Hi Phoebe! Yes that is USD. A lot of packages start at $130, but they drop to $100 pretty quickly! The transfer to Lombok was included. I did in running shoes and with the exception of the last slog to the summit they were just fine! Best of luck!

Alex – thanks for the terrific synopsis and pictures of your hike! If I may ask a question – I see you stated you paid 1M Rp for the 3D/2N trip. Is it fairly easy to arrange the trip once there at Gili Trawangan, or is it better to pre-book in advance. The prices I am seeing online are, at minimum, 2.2M Rp – for the 2D/1N. Thank you in advance! (BTW- I’m from NY also 🙂
-Chris

What a great post! My friend actually recommended your blog as ‘what to expect’ during our upcoming hike to Rinjani in three weeks. I’m quite an avid hiker but there are some friends of mine found the mountain was quite challenging overall(as which you also have mentioned in your post too). Did you do any preparation in terms of fitness before hand? And if you did, what sort of work-out regime would you suggest?

I did absolutely no prep before this trip as we decided to go quite last minute 🙂 I think I would have definitely had a more pleasant time though if I had, so I’d recommend fitting in whatever fitness you can before your trip! However if you’re a big hiker I’m sure you’ll be able to face the challenges head on. Best of luck!

Hey Tikky! If you read Part III of this series I describe where I booked the trek on Gili Trawangan. I did not book online and I do not recommend others to do so as prices are often inflated and there is a risk of scams. Hence I have removed the link you included as I don’t want to unintentionally advertise for them. Best of luck!

What great information! My hubby and I are going to be hiking Mount Rinjani in the beginning of June. I was wondering if you remember the company you booked through? We will be in the Gili Island a few days prior to moving over the Mount Rinjani and I’m trying to finalize plans now. Thanks!

Hi! I’m trekking mount Rinjani in a few days and was wondering about how physically strenuous you found the trek. I’m not unfit but I’ve not climbed mountains before so looking for some guidance if you think it’s possible!

Hey Eloise! It’s hard for me to determine your level of physical fitness based on the details you’ve left here. Personally I found it very strenuous and challenging but ultimately doable — aside from the morning summit which as my post states I did not do. Have you done multi-day hikes before? The more training the better. Best of luck!

What outfitter did you end up using and how much did you pay for this? Were there a ton of people offering the trek on the Gilis? Looking to include a backpack in my trip in March or April and trying to figure out what outfitter to USE or, even better NOT to use, and seeing how pricing differs. We thought about going on our own, but figured just easier to pay and not have to deal with planning meals, etc. Thanks,
AmandaAmanda recently posted..Life’s too short to dwell on what happened before sunset….

Hey Amanda! Check the third post in this series for details on the operator I used and what we paid! I wouldn’t recommend doing it on your own. Even with your own camping gear, cooking stuff, etc the path is not signposted and often unclear. It’s an amazing adventure even with a guide 🙂

Hey Adeline, I know most travelers don’t bring much in the way of warm clothes with them to Indonesia, so I’d say pack whatever you’ve got when you’re Rinjani-bound! You might even be able to rent a coat from the tour guide, too!

Hello Alex! Writing from Barcelona. Very nice post and pictures. I am planing on going to Indonesia this coming July with my boyfriend. Could you tell me the exact name of the company/place where you bought the tickets to go to Lombok? Thanks!

Hey Laura, I booked from a little no-name shack in Gili that sells banana bread 🙂 I put the best description of how to find it possible in the conclusion of this series. Sorry I can’t give more details… things are done a little different in the Gilis!

Did you just take the things you would need while on the hike or did you take your entire backpack? If you just took the items you needed, where did you store your other belongings while hiking? Thanks!

Thank you very much for sharing your trekking experience by sharing your experience it’s really helping us to get more guests and that is really good for rinjani community to get more work. We all from jou trekking company would like to say thank you

Hi Alex, great read and brought back some very similar memories of our time on Rinjani! We also didn’t make it to the summit, we managed to get up to the ridge, but by that point we weren’t going to make the summit before sunrise, so we decided to wait for the sunrise on the ridge.

Amazingly, there was a guide waiting for his trekkers to come back, who had lit a small fire and was warming his hands there, so we sat down with him, talked and watched the sunrise from there!

Hey Alexa, you are really great adventurer and writer, I feel like I was joining you in you trip on rinjani. I have been climbing mount rinjani more than a thousands times and been to the summit for 89th times, but I still stuck in how to write all my experience like you. I think you been up to rinjani for few times but, you can write completely interesting content, and all cover the natures and the trek history. Hope to see you and learn from you how to write these great adventure history. I am from the foot of mount rinjani, and joking the local community here, hopes that I can see you one day.

I'm a New York native who left my home to explore the world slowly and thoroughly. I’m just a little obsessed with photography, scuba diving, and reading guidebooks to countries I have no immediate plans to visit.